How Far We've Come
by heat of the night
Summary: Jack and Kim reflect on their relationship. The ups and downs, and how it all got started! Rated T just in case.


**Okay, the idea for this was bugging me all day at school. I'm bored waiting for my piano lesson, so let's see how this turns out... (I THINK IT TURNED OUT LIKE POOP BUT I'LL LET YOU GUYS BE THE JUDGE.)**

**P.S. Basically, Jack and Kim think about all kinds of things from the past, some that really happened on the show, and some of my creations. At first I thought this would be a two shot, Kim's POV in the first chapter Jack's in the second. But I've only written about half of Kim's right now and it's pretty long. So I might do the first half of Kim's in the first chapter and then the second. And Jack's would be the third and fourth chapters. That would make this a four shot. It might require some extra details but this way I can update faster!**

* * *

_I'm waking up at the start of the end of the world._

_But it's feeling just like every other morning before._

_Now I wonder what my life is gonna mean when it's gone._

Kim Crawford sat in her living room, deep in thought. What if she died right now, would she be happy with the life she lived? With who she associated with? How would people remember her?

After a long day, these thoughts plagued her mind. Refusing to leave her alone. So she gave it some thought.

Of course, one of the first people that came to mind with this kind of thinking was Jack. How would he feel? How does he see her? They had been dating for several months now, and it seemed just absolutely perfect.

She remembered the day she first met him...

_It had been a terrible day to start. Failing her science test, spilling ice tea on her favorite shirt, and another subtle threat from Donna Tobin. She tried to blow it all off as nothing and act like it didn't matter. But that was easier said than done._

_Now she carelessly tossed a shiny apple back and forth. Until her bad luck caught up with her once again, sending the apple straight to the floor._

_But alas, just before the apple could touch the germ infested cafeteria tiles, a foot, yes a foot, shot out and saved it._

_"Alright that was almost cool." I told him, sporting a bright smirk. He was pretty attractive, but I hadn't seen him around before. "I'm Kim."_

_He answered quickly, "I'm Jack, I'm new." _

That had turned her day around, they became best friends quickly. All it took was that one time at the park...

_Kim's phone rang obnoxiously, breaking her train of thought. _

_"Hello?" She hadn't bothered to check the caller I.D. _

_"Kim? It's Jack."_

_"Oh hey Jack. What's up?" She rested the phone in between her shoulder and her ear so she could pour a glass of lemonade._

_"Um, well..." He took a pause, and silence filled the line. "Can you be at the park in ten?"_

_"Oh, I can be there in maybe twenty?"_

_"Okay, I can wait for you. I'll be in the usual spot."_

_Kim had finished her snack and wrote a quick message on a Post-It saying where she would be. Then she headed for the park._

_She arrived with a few minutes to spare, and spotted Jack exactly where he said he would be._

_"Jack!" _

_He looked relieved, as if he thought she might not show up. "Kim. Come here."_

_He waved her over, and then lead her through the trees. "Jack...? Where are we going?"_

_"You'll see" After a few minutes of walking he told her to close her eyes. She did. And he guided her for a moment or two._

_"Okay..." _

_"Yes?"_

_"Open them."_

_She did as he said and what she saw was a completely picture perfect scene. It was as if it came right out of a movie. The ocean came inwards between the trees. A sliver of sand separated the grass from the water._

_"Jack... This is beautiful."_

_"I know. That's why I brought you here."_

_Kim paused, unable to come up with more words. She sat on the shoreline and looked back, but Jack was already seated next to me._

_She was about to thank him when he spoke up, "I thought you'd like it."_

_"I do! It's gorgeous. Thank you."_

_"Anytime."_

_They both had so much to say. It all came out at once._

_And then... they kissed. It was like words could no longer express what they were both feeling. They couldn't put their emotions into phrases, so they put them into actions._

_It was incredible._

Oh yes. It had been quite incredible. That had been the start of something, but the end of something else.

That hadn't even been the turning point in their relationship. Because something had stood in their way...

_"We need to talk." Jack and Kim said at the same time._

_Kim wanted to talk about the kiss, she knew that was what Jack was speaking of as well._

_"Okay, look about the kiss..." Jack began._

_"Yes..."_

_"It was a mistake."_

_Kim's heart stopped. She certainly hadn't been expecting _that.

_"Excuse me?"_

_"You heard me. We were caught up in the moment. We weren't thinking straight. Neither one of us need a relationship."_

_"Okay. If that's how you feel then fine."_

_Kim walked away from Jack that day. But not before she caught a glimpse of a knowing smirk out of the corner of her eye._

She thought her friendship with Jack was gone for good. Things seemed so surreal for those 24 hours when they were both thinking about what had happened and why.

Kim hadn't expected an instant relationship, but she had expected more than that.

Of course, that hadn't been the end for them, the end was far, far away...

_Kim spent that night crying, all the things she had gotten used to since Jack moved here were washed away. Every time they were both at the dojo it would be completely awkward. Every time they sat next to each other in their shared classes it would just be them trying their best to pretend the other one didn't exist._

_But you can't throw away two years strong friendship and devotion. Somethings still there, you can choose whether to use it or to ignore it._

_And Kim wanted to use it -Boy, did she want to use it- but she didn't like pushing people. If Jack thought it was a mistake, even if that's the last thing she thought it was, she would do her best to let it go and move on._

_The next few days at school were basically just Jack and Kim, avoiding confrontation. So nothing new._

_"Hey Kim, are you alright?" Grace asked, for the umpteenth time._

_"Yes Grace, I am fine." It was a ritual, Kim blew the whole thing off as nothing while it killed her inside._

_Grace gave her a skeptical look but dropped it for the time being. "Okay then... You sitting with us at lunch again?"_

_"Where else would I sit?"_

_"Well - "_

_Kim cut her off, "Don't even say it."_

_Grace raised her hands in a defensive stance. "Sorry, sorry!"_

_Kim rolled her eyes and headed to the cafeteria. To stare at Jack in secrecy and turn away quickly as soon as he glanced her way._

_xxx_

_Later that day Kim had been walking out of the building. She had a book bag full of homework, and a long walk back to her house. She needed to get a move on._

_But as soon as she got out of the doors, a firm hand pulled her into the trees._

_She spluttered something that was supposed to sound like 'what' but it came out as a bunch of incoherent noises._

_"Kim, Sh!" The person hissed at her._

_"... Jack? What the hell?"_

_"Just a second!" He yanked her behind the building and panted. Now that she really looked at him, up close, he looked horrible. Like he hadn't slept in days._

_"Okay, now don't talk. Just listen." Jack instructed, awkwardly shoving his hands into his pockets._

_"Okay, so I said it was a mistake." I didn't have to ask to know what he was talking about. It was obvious._

_"But it really wasn't. Or it wasn't for me." Now I was confused, I open my mouth to interject, but he raised a hand to keep me quiet. "I only said that because, well when I invited you to the park that day, it was to finally tell you how I feel. We got caught up and kissed before I had the chance to tell you."_

_He continued, "I panicked because that wasn't apart of my plan. It started to make me rethink it. I kept changing my mind. What if we broke up and our friendship was ruined for good? I didn't want that to happen so I thought it was better to just pretend like it never happened by blowing it off as a mistake."_

_"But now I realize that I ruined our friendship by claiming it as a mistake. And that all along I really liked you, and that I think it's worth the risk for us to date. It's much better than whatever is happening now."_

_Kim was paralyzed with shock. She could not believe the revelation. "...I like you too."_

_But I believe the world is burning to the ground._

_Oh well, I guess we're gonna find out._

_Let's see how far we've come._

* * *

**Okay, so first of all I'm SO UNBELIEVABLY SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING MY OTHER STORIES. I know I said I would update them last weekend, but I just haven't felt motivated to write anything for them yet. When I do, I swear I'll write it in a second. But for now, they will continue to be on haitus. **_  
_

**Anyways, I felt like I needed to write this story. I needed to write something for Kickin' It and this was pretty easy and fun to write! I started it yesterday and finished it late tonight. **

**I've been listening to this song a TON lately! I used to love it when it first came out and I recently found it on my iPod and it inspired me! I came up with so many different ways to write this story but eventually I settled for this. And I hope it's at least decent :)**

**I tried, I really did. I just posted a Harry Potter story about an hour ago and I was on a roll so I was just like, hey. Let's get this story up too.**

**And I did! I'm really proud of myself for doing something productive and writing something. Writing makes me feel better and considering I have been extremely lazy this weekend the fact that I got some new stories up makes me happy!**

**Well, I hope everyone likes this! The next chapter will be Kim's perspective again. But this time it'll be of the relationship. And then the same thing but Jack's perspective. If you want his perspective on it! If you don't, then feel free to say so! I don't want to waste my time writing something no one cares about!**

**And please, review! Constructive criticism is welcomed! But no flames. They shall not be tolerated and you will be hearing words from me... (:**

**Okay, bye now!**

**~Elise. **

**less-then-three **


End file.
